Episode 10: The Blessings of Blackness
Listen as a podcast.
Synopsis:
Here on our Native Soil, God has blessed us with many different members of the Body of Christ. Each culture has spiritual gifts and talents that are intended to be blessings to that community and to the entire Body of Christ. Today we explore some of the particular blessings God has gifted to our African-American brothers and sisters. A 1984 pastor letter written by the Black Catholic Bishops entitled “What We Have Seen and Heard” will serve as our guide. Let us not be afraid to “See” and “Hear” these blessings, so that we may be better stewards of our Native Soil.
Dig In Further:
How can our Black brothers and sisters’ “Contemplative Stance” be something that we incorporate more into your spirituality? How can we learn from their Holistic spirituality? How can we praise God, sense God, communicate with God with all that we are—body, heart, mind, feelings and spirit? How can we learn from their indomitable spirit of Joy? How can the “Joy” we have in our friendship with Christ enable us to offer forgiveness, healing and understanding where there is hate, hurt and misunderstanding?
Links:
"Shrink the Divide”—a multi-site event for Racial Reconciliation—coming up Tuesday July 28 in Mobile—PLEASE CONSIDER ATTENDING!
https://www.shrinkthedivide.com
What We Have Seen & Heard, Black Catholic Bishops Pastoral Letter on Evangelization, 1984
Fr. Manuel Williams, CR—The Unique Gifts of African American Spirituality
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuuERy_00Kk&feature=youtu.be
Black Faith Matters by Spirit Juice Production, a glimpse into the Black Catholic experience in Tremé section (oldest black neighborhood in America) of New Orleans
https://www.spiritjuice.org/black-faith-matters/
Sr. Thea Bowman’s (cause for canonization underway!) 1989 address to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops about “What does it mean to be Black & Catholic?”